Procurement and Marketing
Achieving Value through Partnership
John StephensMicrosoft
Since the economic downturn of 2001, and the impact of the 9/11 attacks, procurement and sourcing organizations have had an increasingly important role in many large corporations. Traditionally focused in direct materials purchasing, innovative procurement organizations have translated their strategic sourcing methodologies to drive improvement in many nontraditional areas such as professional services, product development, and marketing services. Work in these less-defined categories of spend has driven the focus away from merely price reduction and toward strategic partnerships, both internally and externally, to redefine the entire purchasing process. From requirements...